The Way to Obtain Happiness
by LAST PIECE
Summary: Another "seven years series". Kazemaru Ichirouta and Kirino Ranmaru loved each other, and they knew that they could overcome any obstacle that comes their way. But... what about reality?


Kirino Ranmaru walked towards the place that he would visit every year with heavy footsteps, the place that was more than meaningful to him. Today's sky is cloudy, the sun is no where to be seen.

He looked towards him and said, "It's been a long time." Stopping in his steps and standing still. "This flower, it's beautiful, isn't it?"

* * *

_The first __year_, he was playing soccer alone on the wide space next to the river.

Suddenly, the ball changed direction and started rolling towards the river itself, before he could react, someone else had already stopped the ball with one foot on it.

"Kirino Ranmaru, right? Not bad."

Ever since that day, that person's figure, voice and smile were all deeply imprinted into his memory.

The day after that, he had no idea he was able to see that person again. He was Mamoru's friend, and also a defender of the ever-so-famous Japan National Team.

Under Kazemaru Ichirouta's teaching, Kirino Ranmaru improved unbelievably fast.

Even Shindou Takuto couldn't help teasing him a bit, "Kirino's finally like what a normal kid should be like." Hearing this, Kirino blushed furiously and tried to retaliate, which only brought chuckles from Takuto.

* * *

_The second __year_, he noticed that the feeling he felt for him wasn't just plain admiring, if you really want him to describe what that feeling is, it's probably much more...

Not knowing when it started, but the two of them became a couple just ever so naturally, never leaving the other alone.

"Do you regret it?" Ichirouta asked while stroking the other's beautiful cherry colored hair gently.

"Definitely never."

* * *

_The third year, _after spending time with each other for such a long time, he felt that no matter how much he loved that person, he could still feel their differences.

He tugged on his hand, "I wish that we'll be like this forever, together forever."

Hearing this, Kirino just forced a smile as he looked at the man beside him, but he still wouldn't let go of that hand.

If only the time right now could stop forever_, _he thought to himself over and over again.

* * *

_The fourth year, _he suddenly noticed that he was avoiding him, even during soccer practice, he would flinch away from his gaze on purpose.

After practice when everyone started to leave, Kirino held tightly onto Ichirouta's hand, and lead him to a vacant area.

"Kazemaru-senpai." Kirino called after inhaling deeply. "If my feelings towards you troubles you, please tell me. I promise I will force myself to stop liking you." Kirino tried hard to hold back the tears that were already flowing upwards towards the edge of his eyes, saying this with a choked voice. "So, please don't hide from me." After saying this, Kirino released his tightly held hand around Ichirouta's, turning to leave. If he stayed here any longer, the tears will definitely be unstoppable.

"You're wrong..." Seeing this, Ichirouta reached out his arm to stop Kirino from leaving. "I..." but as soon as he had started, he stopped just as soon, as if he couldn't bear opening his mouth. He was afraid of the possibilities that he could destroy Kirino Ranmaru, after all- he was this young. "You have to believe me, please, I love you more than anyone. You have to find happiness, because you deserve getting happiness more than anyone else.

After hearing his words, he burst into tears, reaching out his trembling arms and embracing that man tightly.

* * *

_The fifth year, _the time that the two of them could spend together began to shorten, he told himself _Don't mind it._

Because Ichirouta had to attend many matches and had to face that fact that the two of them were going to be separated in two different countries.

Ichirouta grinned slightly, showing it to make the other feel at ease, "I'm going." Patting the top of Kirino's head gently as he said this.

Just like before he left, _softly_.

Kirino lift up the corners of his mouth even though tears were rolling down, his tone steady just like always, "Be careful." He knows that he'll come back, so he simply stared after him as he left.

"Just like always, I'll come back very soon." Ichirouta said as he looked at Kirino's worried expression before leaving. Even though he knew his uneasiness, but he still had to leave, so the only thing he could do was to at least make him feel less worried. And then the thing that he had never thought would happen, actually really happened to him. He happily called him with his phone. "We won the match, I'll fly back tonight." The rest is just basically those "I want to see you so much, I miss you so much" those kind of stuff.

The plane he took, plundered without warning. That's right, Kazemaru Ichirouta's death is certain. It's smack on the death list.

"That's, a lie... right?" Kirino put down his unfinished call with a stunned expression, staring at the list on the TV screen, not even daring to blink, checking it again and again.

* * *

_The sixth year, _his death changed his whole life a hundred-and-eighty degrees.

That day, it wasn't just Kazemaru Ichirouta who died- the reason that Kirino Ranmaru still existed was utterly and totally destroyed.

His grades kept on failing, because he couldn't find the energy to study. Soccer, too, the enthusiasm to play it had disappeared completely.

Kirino Ranmaru felt that the future was hazy, confusing and gradually felt afraid of it- he didn't know what he should to from now on, memories flowing from his brain were all about Kazemaru Ichirouta.

Without Ichirouta, Ichirouta's not here anymore... then as Kirino Ranmaru, what was left of him?

He spent the rest of the days like a living zombie, wake up, go to school, sleep. More like, it became an extremely regular patterned life, but to him, it was unbearable.

"Kirino Ranmaru, are you serious?" Takuto finally couldn't stand watching and demanded his friend. He understood that Kazemaru Ichirouta's death must have made a great impact on him, but the him right now... is just not him.

"I..." Kirino raised his head, meeting Takuto's gaze, he immediately lowered it again, as if he wanted to say something in defense.

"This is not like you at all. I'm begging you, please face reality." Takuto raised his voice volume sightly as he grabbed Kirino's shoulders. Takuto really didn't know what rights he had to scold Kirino, and he understood his pain, but since they were friends, he had to push him. "That person would most definitely not want you to be like this either."

Almost out of bewilderment, Shindou Takuto's sentence echoed back and forth in Kirino Ranmaru's mind. That person said so once, he liked to watch him play soccer, because he said the two of them were alike- they both loved soccer passionately.

He had to pull himself together, no matter if it was for his worried friends around him, his family or even him.

Gradually grasping back his original living pattern, he attended the soccer club's activities once more. Everyone was over thrilled see that he had come back.

He knew that if he saw his down-and-out self, he would definitely be mad. So he needed to march forward.

* * *

_The seventh year, _He noticed that even though they tried as hard as they could to get past every obstacle, they still lost against reality.

_They still couldn't receive happiness._

But every year, he would go to that place. The place where Kazemaru Ichirouta is lying in deep eternal sleep, he was the man that he loved so deeply more than any in the entire world. Sometimes he would hope that this was just all a bad dream, but until that moment when the coffin closed, it was then that he was sure that he would never see him again.

_'You have to find happiness-'_ Suddenly, a voice sounded, he remembered that that person had told him this once.

"But Kazemaru Ichirouta is no longer in this world." Kirino paused for a few seconds, "So the way to get happiness, doesn't exist after all." Lifting the edge of his mouth in a forced smile. "Or, is it that the person who can make me happy, is no longer here?" He murmured as he placed the banquet of flowers down in front of the grave stone engraved with the words 'Kazemaru Ichirouta' on it. Even though he knew there was no way he could hear him, "_Please be happy__._"

**Fin.**

* * *

**Matsurei: Yeah, so... even though the two of them tried hard to be together, neither of them could receive happiness in the end. Sorry, because of the drama, Ichirouta died in a plane crash QAQ Poor Kirino... yes, and this was meant to be part of "The Junction Between the Parallel Lines", but~ I didn't even dare touch it again ==**


End file.
